Peshawar:
Militants attacked a strategic tunnel in northwest Pakistan with two explosives laden trucks today, killing eight persons and injuring 14 more, officials said.
The Japanese-built Kohat tunnel, which links Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa capital Peshawar to southern parts of the province, was first targeted with an explosives laden truck that entered the structure and blew up, police officials said.
In the second attack, an oil tanker packed with explosives hit a check post manned by army and paramilitary personnel outside the tunnel.
The check post was empty but the blast hit a van that was behind the tanker, officials said.
Two women were among the eight persons who died in the attacks.
Four persons who sustained serious injuries were taken to Peshawar while the others were admitted to hospitals in Kohat.
Several cars in the tunnel were damaged by the first blast, in which 500 kg of explosives was used.
The tunnel was closed after the attacks and security forces cordoned off the area.
Officials said the attacks were aimed at damaging the tunnel, which had recently been reopened to 24-hour traffic after being open only during the day because of the risk of militant attacks.
Pro-Taliban militants had captured the tunnel on the Indus Highway in early 2008.
Security forces had then launched a major operation to flush out militants from the nearby Darra Adam Khel region.